No Shop Talk
by JennieJoy72
Summary: Every fan/writer here has their own version of what happened that night. This is mine. Enjoy.


**Every writer has their version of this night and this is mine. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. Thanks**

 **No Shop Talk**

Lee opened his door to see Amanda standing there smiling holding a pie plate in her hands.

"I know you said that I didn't' need to bring anything tonight, but I wanted to contribute to dinner, so I made a pie." She smiled warmly at Lee as he let her in.

"Pie you say, huh, what kind?" He asked knowing it really didn't matter; he knew Amanda was a great baker.

"Chocolate Cream is one of Mother's recipes that she has had in the family for generations you are going to love it."

"I sure I am. So how has the rest of your day been?" He asked.

Sitting on the couch across from him she answered, "It was pretty good. I got to spend the day with Mother and the boys after they got home of course. I made a pie for tonight. What about you, how has your day gone since we left the Marina?"

"Productive actually, I went and got the car washed and detailed. I went to the store to find some wine for tonight. I found out I had a vacuum cleaner in the closet and used it." They both laughed at the last statement.

"I have noticed that since meeting you your cleaning habits have improved considerably."

"Yeah well, you know I think it was just a phase I was going through. Life in the military family does not afford a slovenly abode. It is completely unacceptable. For a while when I was first on my own, I was still very neat. It was after my last partner died that I stopped caring about a lot of things in my life. The cleanliness of my apartment wasn't high on the list at that time."

She watched as his smile faded and his demeanor changed when he mentioned his old partner. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to lose someone that way.

"You have had a lot of loss in your life. I'm sorry for that." She took his hand in hers and was taken aback that he didn't pull away from her. He held her hand and even caressed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Yes, I have. I lost my mother and father when I was five. I went with my uncle after his return from a tour overseas when I was almost seven. He wasn't a real tuck you in and read bedtime stories kind of man. All in all, it wasn't so bad, I mean you met him. We are better now than we have ever been. It still isn't anything real close, but we talk more and judge less. Thank you for that."

Blushing she said, "Why are you thanking me?"

"Well, I told my uncle that lie about us dating, not only did you go along with it, you helped clear his name, and helped to find a way to communicate with each other. We still fight and disagree about things, but not as much as before. Not to mention every time we do talk he asks about you."

Smiling brightly she said, "Well, that is nice of him. Any time you speak with him tell him I said hello."

"I'll be sure to do that. I better get the rest of dinner on or your potato will be hard and your steak will be raw. Would you like some wine while I go and cook?"

Standing she turned him toward the kitchen and said, "I think I will help you."

"Amanda, I know how to cook, you know I do." Lee said as he allowed her to guide him into his kitchen.

"I never said you couldn't, but I came here to hang out with my friend and I can't do that if I am in the living room and you are in the kitchen. So, where is the stuff for the salad?"

"To be perfectly honest you know this kitchen as well as I do, you tell me where the stuff for the salad is." Lee bent over to pull the potatoes out then flip them over in the oven to finish cooking as he turned on the grill setting on his stove to warm the grill pan hot for the steaks.

"If going on past experience, I would say at the store in a container that you shake then dump in a bowl adding the dressing for whoever has the pleasure of your company that night to make it looked as though you slaved in the kitchen." Amanda stated even as she pulled the salad bowl and fixings for it out of the refrigerator laughing at Lee's playful hurt expression.

"Amanda King, how can you say such a thing? I made you that wonderful Japanese meal a couple years back and what did I get for it a phone call in the rain and sleeping in the back of your station wagon in the garage. That wasn't very hospitable now was it?" Lee placed his hand son his hips in mocking hurtful feelings.

"I might believe that your feelings are still hurt if your dimples were showing through Stetson." Amanda smiled back at him. _Why can't it always be this easy with him?_ She thought as she finished up the salad and went to take the bowl and tongs to the table that Lee had set earlier before she arrived.

Amanda was just finishing putting the salad on the plates as Lee came in with wine for the two of them. He set the wine down and then held her chair out for her to sit before taking his place at the table next to her.

"You know the one thing that has always confused me about you?" Amanda asked after Lee sat down and took a sip of his wine.

"You mean there is only one thing about me that has confused you?" Lee asked in genuine shock.

Slapping at his shoulder she said, "Stop it Lee. Well, I would have to say one big thing about you."

Lee raised his eyebrows looking her in the eyes to encourage her thought of his 'one big thing' in her curious mind. "What would that be Amanda?"

"That would be your manners."

"My manners, what is wrong with my manners?"

"When we first met, you rarely would say hello or ask if I was okay before you would jump right into business, whether it was the Agency or your fish."

"My fish are very important to me, I explained that before."

"Yes, I know, but in the same respect that you couldn't tell me hello or ask if I was okay you had no problems opening doors for me, allowing me to enter a room or building before you, pulling my chair out for me. Men really don't do that any longer but you do and it almost makes up for your lack of manners in other areas."

Lee sat and thought about what she was saying and realized it wasn't just with her that he had that duel mannerism with. Most people, especially woman, he was that way with.

"No, I guess I need to work on some of the other manners of society. I think it is important that when with a woman that a man do those things for her." He took a bite of his salad as he noticed how she smiled and seemed off that he could show her respect in one simple act and forego any other form of respect.

"Okay, I know I have a few more manners to work on, but I am also very set in my ways. It is hard to retrain an old dog."

They sat in silence finishing their salad. As Amanda went to clean the salad plates Lee placed his hand on hers and said, "Sit, I'll get those and bring out dinner. You are after all my guest tonight."

Lee came back in a few minutes later with two plates asking if she wanted more wine. "Yes, please."

"Here you go." He poured her wine, refilled his and then sat back down.

"Amanda, so what isn't in your file that I don't know about you?" Lee asked never taking his eyes from her.

"Well you know I was just like most teenage girls at our age then."

"I don't know about that, I got the impression that you were a goody good girl. Doing what was expected from her, never bucking the system or the rules. I bet if you broke a shoelace you would find a way to call your parents to let them know that you might be a few minutes late but that you were okay."

His answer seemed to upset her. That was never his intention. He just wanted to know more about the woman in front of him. He couldn't figure out how the woman that took the chances she did could be such a goody good girl.

"Hey," reaching over to take her hand Lee said, "I didn't mean to upset you, but I can't believe that the woman I work with and takes the risks she does have never rebelled in some form."

"I didn't rebel until I was in college. I was always so worried about being a disappointment to my Daddy. I never wanted him to think about me and be ashamed. We lost him when I was in college and after that I guess I was hurting so much I didn't care if I hurt the one parent I had left. Mother and I didn't talk for a while after Daddy died. It wasn't because we didn't want to lean on each other we were just grieving in different ways. I went to a few more parties with my sorority sisters, drank more, dated a few frat boys, and made one mistake too many that I couldn't come back from. Not long after that Mother and I started talking again, I would visit home more and things didn't seem so hard. I met Joe not long after that, we dated, married, was married until we weren't and then I met this man one day, he changed my life forever."

Lee smiled deeply until she said, "Dean McGuire."

Lee felt like he had just been punched in the stomach by hearing her say Dean's name instead of his. He was certain at first she was talking about him. It must have shown some on is face when she said, "Dean changed my life forever because he led me to you and this great life and friendship I have now."

Amanda leaned over the table and kissed his cheek making the smile she craved shine from him.

"What happened between you two? I thought you were heading for the aisle with him." Lee wanted her to say it was because of him, but he knew she wouldn't say that.

"In a way because of you; I mean not you personally because we aren't involved in that way, but I realized that if losing my memory of you and the Agency were because of the emotions of having to keep you all a secret in my life then I really had to think as to what emotions were in conflict for me to forget Dean. I realized that if I was to move forward with someone, I want them to know what I do and why I do it. Dean never would understand why I work with the Agency. I think Mother will one day as will the boys, but they aren't ready for this yet. I will need a stronger supportive partner to help with that transition. What about you?"

Clearing the table this time together they continued talking when she asked about love life. It wasn't something he could very well deny after having thrown at her at every opportunity in the last few days.

"What about me? You mean my love life?"

Nodding as they cleaned the dinner dishes together, "Yes, Lee Stetson, I want to know about your wild love life."

That warranted her hearty laughter from Lee, yes while he was in the dating pool he found himself in the shallow end again. No longer treading the deep end of the ocean without a life jacket from the sea of woman he was drowning in.

"To be perfectly honest Leslie was the first woman in a long while that I have ventured out into the dating scene with. I was on a break from dating. Looks like I am still on the outs of dating. I don't think Leslie and I will be seeing each other again."

Her eyes widened in surprise she tried to sound concerned as she asked, "Why?"

Lee noticed that glimmer of happiness at his dating expense in her eyes but wasn't ready to fully process the look so he stayed the course of the conversation.

"In a small way, like you I want someone in my life that I can share as much of me as I can. I don't want them to have to guess what I do and be okay with it. I want to be able to look at the woman I am with and be open about my job and I don't want my partner having to lie about who they are to cover my ass."

Looking down away from him she said, "I'm sorry. I can't believe the way I acted. For all I knew she did know what you did. It just surprised me that after all my complaints that you needed normal in your life, the first time you have it I make it sound like a terrible thing."

"A good friend once told me that the exposure to normal certainly couldn't hurt me, and she was right. The exposure makes me want it more and more every day. I see it more and more at work. Agents have a normal life outside of the world of terrorism and violence. They get married while somehow managing to have and raise babies. Now not that I think I will ever have children by the time I find the future Mrs. Stetson, but I am at least hopeful enough to think I will find her."

Placing her arm around his waist she said, "Lee, I believe that both of us will find the one person that will bring us happiness, security, and understanding we both want from them. Who knows you could find the most fertile woman in DC and many babies with her."

Lee about choked on his pie when Amanda announced his future father station. "I would be happy with just one child thank you very much. What about you? When you find Mr. Fantastic, will you want children with him?"

Amanda looked into his hazel eyes and saw in her mind a beautiful baby with his eyes and dimples, "Uh, yeah, maybe, you never know. He may have children of his own; you have to remember I come with two growing boys and a mother. That may be enough for him."

In his mind he saw a baby with her nose and hair, "He would be crazy not to have a baby with you. Amanda you are a great mother, any man would be lucky to have you as the mother of their child."

Blushing she said, "Thanks Lee and the same goes for you. You will make a great dad one day."

The topic of babies had both their minds going to a different level in their minds so they cooled the conversation of babies to safer topics. Lee stood and went to the record collection while looking for a record to listen to Amanda said, "Do you have any jazz over there? I think I remember some jazz when I straighten them at the other apartment."

"The lady wants Jazz then the lady gets jazz." Lee pulled the record he was looking for and then placing it on the turntable. He set the needle down as the tune filled the room Lee walked and held out his hand saying, "If memory serves me, and it usually does, you are a pretty good dancer. May I have this dance?"

"Of course, you never knew when at one of these parties you drag me to that we may have to dance with one another instead of me being left alone and dancing with some stranger."

Making a face that was one that she would normal hold in regard for him, Lee said, "I know that goes back to my manners. I will try to make an effort to dance more when we aren't being shot at or chased away from the party."

"Thank you, thank would be fabulous if you could do that."

Lee spun her around his small 'dancefloor' in his living room and thought how natural it felt to be in her arms, holding her like this. He could smell the wine and chocolate on her breath at his neck as she placed her head on his shoulder. Her breath moved over his skin and he knew that the feeling he had for her were not that of a partner or even a friend. He wanted to pick her up and place her in his bed to have her in his arms over and over. This was his normal he had been searching for in Leslie. They had time and he was okay with that.

He pulled her closer as the next song came on. She felt his arms tighten as the second song came on and she let herself relax and mold to him as he led her around his living room. With no objections from Lee her fingers relaxed in his hair at the base of his hair and began to tangle in it. She could feel his body respond to her touch as well as her own from his and knew that while the feelings were there neither one was reading to act on this new emotion. This was something she didn't want to rush or ruin. She knew that man that held her was the same man that she described to him over dinner, he just a little time to be okay with that. He was her adventure and security while she was his normal and balance. They had time and she was okay with that.


End file.
